1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for testing semiconductor devices through probes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electric characteristics of those semiconductor devices which are packaged as finished products have been conducted in the course of manufacturing them. Their packages are quite numerous in kind. In order to test these quite variously packaged semiconductor devices, therefore, the testing device (or IC handler) must be exchanged every group of packages. In addition, a trend has been created these days that semiconductor devices are made more in kind but less in number. The universal handler has been developed to meet these needs. When the unit of electric connector (or contactor) which is electrically contacted with the semiconductor device is exchanged with others, variously-shaped semiconductor devices can be tested by the universal handler alone.
Contactors used for this universal handler can be divided into some types: One of them is to contact spring probes with electrode terminals (or leads) of the semiconductor device, the other is of the socket type in which the plugging of leads of the semiconductor device is made, and a further is to contact conductive rubber with leads of the semiconductor device.
However, the recent trend of making semiconductor devices more and more highly integrated is remarkable. In addition, the pitch at which electrode terminals are formed on semiconductor devices is required to become smaller and smaller, say, smaller than 0.5 mm. This requires a plurality of probes to be arranged on the contactors at a certain position thereof and with a higher accuracy. This is the reason why a semiconductor devices testing device capable of being used for more numerous kinds of semiconductor devices and more easily maintained is needed.